Tuesday, September 13, 2016

My Top 5 Favorite Korean Cosmetics Brands

If you have been reading this blog for a while now, you know my preference on Korean cosmetics over any other type of cosmetics. They are more affordable than their Western counterparts and they work quite well my skin (and hair). I have reviewed a lot of Korean products over the past 5 years that I've been blogging (yes, May 2016 marked the 5th year of my blogging and I still can't believe it's been that long already!) so some of you may already have an idea what I like, what I don't and what I consider as holy grail. For now, I will share the top 5 Korean cosmetics brands which would be helpful for beginners in the Korean cosmetics realm (if you are familiar with Korean cosmetics you are aware that it can be overwhelming due to the wealth of products to choose from). This list is in no particular order.

The brand is somewhat on the expensive side (but still reasonably priced compared to most Western brands). Aside from the clean and feminine colors and design of their stores, their products also work well with most skin types. One of their most popular product is the Clean It Zero cleansing balm. I am yet to try that one but I can attest to a few of their products. Here are my recommendations from the brand:

The only reason why I was initially interested in the brand is because of the endorser. It was none other than Sandara Park who is a member of my all-time favorite Kpop girl group 2ne1. She started out as an actress in the Philippines before moving back to Korea to pursue a Kpop career. We all have known her to be quite a beauty even when she was still in the Philippines. I wasn't a fan then but I find her charming. She became more endearing when she joined the Kpop world. It was like she unleashed a hidden persona that was captivating. And when I saw her face plastered on the Clio store in Myeongdong, I was delighted. Though she was the reason I got interested in the brand, I do like Clio products for its effects. Even now that her contract ended and someone else is endorsing the brand, I will still purchase their products and recommend it to people. Here are my recommendations:

Unless you life under a rock, you have already heard about Etude House. Even those who are not fans of the Korean cosmetics would have heard about Etude House at least once in their life. Just a background, Sandara Park endorsed this brand at one point also together with Lee Min Ho (before she endorsed Clio). And again, as her fan, I started with the brand because of her. But aside from the endorser, the pretty pink interiors and princess style of packaging caught my attention. As a person who loves anything cute, princess-y and pink, I couldn't resist.

Honestly, I have a love-hate relationship with the brand. I started out loving everything I purchase and then things just stopped working. And when I decided to try it again, I rekindled my love for the brand. I have a lot of things I love from the brand but those I would highly recommend are:

I guess endorsers really play a big role for me in choosing which brands to try and which ones to avoid. I tried to avoid Innisfree before because I don't like Yoona from Girl's Generation (sorry sone's, I like Taeyeon and Hyoyeon but I really don't like Yoona). But my sister said the products were recommended by her friend, especially the Apple Cleansing Oil and Jeju Volcanic Pore Clay Mask, so I decided to try their products as well. After that I thought to myself, next time, I will not judge a brand by the endorses. Though it still plays a huge role in my selection of cosmetics I will give products a try even if I am not a fan of the endorser. I love Innisfree. Here are some things that I highly recommend:

I have always been curious about the brand because of the endorser, Song Hye Kyo. She is one of the prettiest and one of the best actresses in Korea in my opinion. But I find their products to be on the expensive side (more expensive than Banila Co.) But I guess you get what you pay for. I haven't tried that many products from the brand yet but for the three that I have, I highly recommend two. The brand is amazing and if you make a quick google search, you will find a long list of good reviews about the brand. Here are two that I highly recommend:

I haven't done a proper review on some of the products mentioned in this post but I do hope to have the time to make one for each I haven't yet (which is why I decided to leave those spaces I haven't reviewed blank). Please do check this blog post from time to time if you are interested for the full review of the products.

32 comments
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Such a great, informative post, girl! I've been hearing such a buzz these days over Korean skincare brands and I'm noticing that many of what seems to be innovative products from major American brands are inspired by Korean products. My mom recently gifted me with an eye cream from Atom and I love it, so I'm definitely looking to experiment with different brands, so this is really helpful! Thanks for sharing and I hope you're having a great start to your week so far!

I know how intimidating Korean brands can be because new products come out all the time! You get lost in a sea of products that seem similar to each other. Try the products and brands I mentioned above as a start.

You're welcome! The Korean cosmetics industry is a very competitive one which is why people new to this world can be daunted by the endless names and products to choose from. Start from the list of brands and products I mentioned in this article.

I haven't heard of that brand before! There are so many new Korean brands out there that I am missing! I really need to go back to Korea soon. Glad you liked the eye cream. Try some of the products I mentioned above too.

Jenn is a hardworking girl by day, a anything-with-glitters advocate by night, and a kpop fangirl in between. She documents her fascination for pastel colors, fluffy dresses, and Kpop obsession in this small space she calls her blog. Please be warned that this is not a fashion/beauty blog; this is a personal blog.

오랜마니에요 여러분! 나 보고싶었어요? 나는 블로깅을 많이 보고싶었어요. Just practicing my Korean. I recently went to Seoul (again, for the 5th time) but I am sti...

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